चाय (chaay)

noun A single, simple sense: 'tea,' the drink. No split needed.
Sense 1 : tea (the beverage)
noun, feminine
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: चाय (chaay) is woven into the daily rhythm of North Indian life -- offering a guest चाय (chaay) is almost automatic, and 'चाय पिएँगे?' (chaay pienge?, 'will you have tea?') is one of the first hospitality questions asked in any Delhi home or office. The compound चाय-पानी (chaay-paanii, literally 'tea-water') covers general light refreshments or hospitality, and colloquially can even mean a small tip or bribe to smooth things along.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often forget चाय (chaay) is feminine, so adjectives and verbs agreeing with it take feminine forms, e.g. गरम चाय (garam chaay, 'hot tea') and चाय बन गई (chaay ban gaii, 'the tea got made'). 2) चाय पीना (chaay piinaa) is the standard phrase for 'to drink/have tea' -- learners sometimes reach for खाना (khaanaa, 'to eat') by mistake, but even snacks eaten alongside tea are usually still framed under चाय-पानी (chaay-paanii) rather than चाय खाना.
Sample Sentences:
क्या आप चाय पिएँगे? Will you have tea?
(kyaa aap chaay pienge?)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
मैं सुबह उठकर सबसे पहले चाय बनाता हूँ। I make tea first thing after getting up in the morning.
(main subah uthkar sabse pahle chaay banaataa hoon।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
माँ रसोई में चाय बना रही है। Mom is making tea in the kitchen.
(maan rasoii men chaay banaa rahii hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
उसने चाय पी और दफ़्तर के लिए निकल गया। He drank his tea and left for the office.
(usne chaay pii aur daftar ke lie nikal gayaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
अरे, ज़रा चाय तो पिला दो! Hey, get me some tea, will you!
(are, zaraa chaay to pilaa do!)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
अगर बारिश होती तो हम छत पर बैठकर चाय पीते। If it had been raining, we would have sat on the roof drinking tea.
(agar baarish hotii to ham chhat par baithkar chaay piite।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
शायद उसे चाय में चीनी नहीं चाहिए। Maybe she doesn't want sugar in her tea.
(shaayad use chaay men chiinii nahiin chaahie।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Voice: Active
मेहमानों के लिए चाय-पानी का इंतज़ाम कर दिया गया है। Refreshments have been arranged for the guests.
(mehmaanon ke lie chaay-paanii kaa intzaam kar diyaa gayaa hai।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Passive
काम जल्दी हो जाए, इसके लिए उसने चौकीदार को थोड़ा चाय-पानी दे दिया। So that the work would get done quickly, he slipped the watchman a little something.
(kaam jaldii ho jaae, iske lie usne chaukiidaar ko thodaa chaay-paanii de diyaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
स्टेशन पर हर तरफ़ चाय की खुशबू फैली हुई थी। The smell of tea was wafting everywhere at the station.
(steshan par har taraf chaay kii khushboo phailii huii thii।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
कृपया चाय ठंडी होने से पहले पी लीजिए। Please drink the tea before it gets cold.
(kripyaa chaay thandii hone se pahle pii liijie।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
Morphology
Noun
(sg.f.direct): चाय (chaay)
(sg.f.oblique): चाय (chaay)
(pl.f.direct): चायें (chaayen)
(pl.f.oblique): चायों (chaayon)